Perhaps a pastor painted a poor picture of pastors for you. Maybe a church staffer didn’t elevate your ministry the way you thought it deserved. Did a fellow member rebuke you harshly instead of with gentleness and in love? Cultural Christians and their hypocrisy, possibly, have made you sick over the years. Or is it that members, your friends, left your church, and it no longer has the same homey feel? No matter whose fault it was (it could have been yours), the local church burned you like a finger that touched a hot stove. You touched it, experienced hurt in being part of a church, and now you have no desire to come near your church or any church ever again. It scarred too deep. You agree with Donald Miller and believe you don’t need to go to church to worship God[i], so you resorted to your couch—or the woods or perhaps Starbucks—for “church.” You vowed not to be part of a church again—at least not one that notices when you slip through the door. Do you have to go to church to worship God?
Do You Have to Go to Church to Worship God?
Go Back to Church
Although I empathize with your pain and recoil, I encourage you to go back to church. In this article, we will consider together how the word church is used in Bible. Don’t just slip through the megachurch’s doors with the hope of distancing yourself and preventing any future burns. Instead, visit a local church you intend to join, and then, join a church that holds to the biblical standard outlined briefly in this article.
